2004-10-30/2019-02-11 - From the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders, by David H. Fox (Richmond, Va.: Organ Historical Society, 1991). - With Gutfleisch & Schopp of Alliance, Ohio, pipemaker; over 50 years experience in 1952. Sources:
2015-10-29/2019-04-29 - See also: Gutfleisch & Schopp
2018-12-18/2019-02-11 - Updated information sent to the database by Todd Farmerie, May 1, 2018. - John Simon Lorance Wolpert was born 23 November 1883, in Salem, Ohio. He was the son of Ferdinand 'Fred' Wolpert (a cooper at the time, transitioning into a farmer) and Anna Mary Lippert. He married May 4 1910 at Louisville, Kentucky, to Alma C. Finkler, having children Helen, Charles and Kenneth. He usually appears as Wolpert, but occasionally as Walpert or Walbert. He signed his 1918 World War I draft card with his full name. In 1900, aged 16, he is reported in the census, Perry Township., Columbiana Co., Ohio, (ED 23, p. 8A) as an "Organ Maker" with a note written above: "Worcing - Myer Co." This is certainly the Wirsching Co. (BuilderID 6726), of Salem, while 'Myer' would appear to be Frank Antoine Meyer (BuilderID 4148), unless the name is a holdover from Jerome B. Meyer (BuilderID 4151), who if I am following correctly had already left Salem by this time. From 1908-1918, he appears in the City Directories of Louisville, Kentucky, as a "pipemkr" or "organ pipewkr" with H. Pilcher's Sons (Henry Pilcher's Sons, BuilderID 2743), and appears in the 1910 census of Louisville (ED 56, p. 10A), listed in the census as "Pipe Maker" in the "Organ Pipe" industry. In 1918 he moved to Alliance, there registering for the World War I draft in September 1918. He reports himself (as best his writing can be read) as being in the stamping department of a steel forge company. However, he soon was back in the organ pipe business. In the 1920 Alliance census (ED 95 p. 8A) he is "Pipe Maker" for "Goodflesh", i.e. Gutfleisch & Schopp (BuilderID 2498). He is not found in 1930 - the census taker inexplicably bypassed his house - but the Depression seems to have driven him out of the business again. In 1940 he is in Alliance (ED 76-43, p. 4A) as a 'cutter' for a sales slip supply company. However, as you have, he was back with Gutfleisch by 1952. He died June 22, 1961, at Alliance, Ohio. His obituary (The Salem News, June 23, 1961, p. 8) reports that he had worked for Robert Schopp Co. (i.e. A.R. Schopp's Sons, BuilderID 11) until retiring two years before. Sources: Mr. Farmerie sent the sources, but the editor is still working on adding the HTML coding to display them. They should be finished soon, check back in a few days. —Ed.
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